Passengers Charged for PCR Test as of Today

Beginning today, arriving passengers in Iceland will be charged for coronavirus testing, which until now has been offered free of charge. The fee for a single PCR test is ISK 9,000 (about USD 65; EUR 58) for those who pay when pre-registering, but ISK 11,000 (about USD 79; EUR 71) for those who pay upon arrival, according to covid.is. It is considerably lower than originally planned.

Following the test, passengers can travel to their registered address, provided in their pre-registration form. While waiting their test results, they are asked to follow instructions provided. Children born in 2005 and later are exempt from testing. For further information regarding testing at the border, please visit covid.is. 

According to a statement, posted on the government’s website, Iceland will soon be lifting travel restrictions for residents of 15 states outside the EU/Schengen Area in line with the decision of EU Member States. EU/Schengen citizens and residents are free to travel to Iceland, as long as they preregister prior to arrival and undergo either a PCR test or a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

The following states will be exempt from travel restrictions to Iceland once new regulations come into effect:

Algeria
Australia
Canada
Georgia
Japan
Montenegro
Morocco
New Zealand
Rwanda
Serbia
South Korea
Thailand
Tunisia
Uruguay
China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity)

The list of countries exempt from travel restrictions will be reviewed at least every two weeks.

“Icelandic authorities are preparing the implementation of EU guidelines and a new regulation will be issued within the next few days,” the statement reads.

To read the whole statement, please visit the government’s website. 

Two new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Iceland yesterday – one at the border and the other one at deCode Genetics. There are currently 12 active cases of the disease in the country. A total of 415 people are in quarantine. For the latest updates, go to covid.is.